Next Level Chocolate Mousse Cake

I'm going to do a bit of boasting here... I make a pretty fantastic chocolate mousse cake... No lies... It is AMAZING!!  It comprises plenty of egg yolks, chocolate and cream; so it has got to be super delicious... And good for you 😉



As good as it is though, I decided that this sumptuous chocolate cake needed a little something extra.  The sponge and the mousse are super soft and creamy.  I thought that a little nuttiness and crunch would take this divine cake up a notch, so I have added two layers of almond dacquoise.  In short, dacquoise is a nutty meringue.  If you want to be clever, the term dacquoise can refer either to a layer (of meringue and nuts) within a cake or to the cake itself, which can be made up of these nutty meringue layers, cream, buttercream or mousse and perhaps some fresh fruit.

I also added a smattering of kahlua, because, you know... "In for a Penny, in for a Pound"!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe...

WARNING: This recipe is quite time consuming and does require some baking skill.


CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE WITH KAHLUA AND ALMOND DACQUOISE

Chocolate Sponge

225 g cake flour
1 T baking powder
50 g Valrhona cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs (preferably from pasture-raised chickens)
280 g sugar
1 t vanilla extract (I like this one)
125 ml sunflower oil
250 ml warm milk

1.  Sift the dry ingredients together.
2.  Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. While beating, gradually add the oil.
4.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in four parts, alternating with the warm milk.
5.  Pour the mixture into a lined 20 cm baking tin.
6.  Bake at 180 °C for approximately 35 minutes.
7.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Almond Dacquoise

3/4 c almonds
1/2 T cornflour
pinch of salt
1/2 c sugar
2 large egg whites (preferably from pasture-raised chickens)
1/8 t cream of tartar

1.  Line two 20 cm spring form cake tins.
2.  Preheat the oven to 120 °C.
3.  Process almonds, corn flour and salt in a food processor.  Add 1/4 c sugar and pulse to combine.
4.  Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy, about one minute.
5.  Increase the speed and whip egg whites to soft peak stage.
6.  While mixing, gradually add the remaining 1/4 c of sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
7.  Fold the nut mixture into the egg whites in two batches.
8.  Put the mixture into a piping bag and pipe it out into the two cake tins.
9.  Bake for 60 minutes.  Switch the oven off and leave the dacquoise to cool for an hour or so.

Chocolate Mousse

100 g egg yolks (preferably from pasture-raised chickens)
45 g egg, beaten
70 g sugar
55 g water
338 g fresh cream
210 g dark chocolate
80 g milk chocolate
1 t vanilla extract

1.  Whip the cream to medium peaks and set aside.
2.  Cook the water and sugar to 121 °C (soft ball stage).
3.  Mix the egg yolks, eggs & vanilla together in the mixer with the whisk.
4.  Slowly pour the syrup onto the eggs while whisking.  Whisk until light and fluffy
5.  Melt the chocolate.
6.  Add a third of the cream to the melted chocolate to form a ganache.
7.  Add the ganache to the egg mixture.
8.  Gently fold in the rest of the cream.
9.  Pour into a piping bag and set aside until needed.

Cocoa Glacage

75 g water
190 g sugar
100 g cream
100 g glucose
50 g Valrhona cocoa powder
9 g gelatin hydrated in 55 g water

1.  In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar, cream and glucose to a boil.
2.  Pour the hot liquid onto the cocoa while whisking.
3.  Pour back into the pot and bring the mixture to the boil again.  Cook for four minutes, whisking continuously.
4.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a while before adding the hydrated gelatin.
5.  Cover with a plastic film and allow to cool.

ASSEMBLY

1.  Line a 20 cm spring form cake tin.
2.  Slice the chocolate sponge horizontally into three pieces.
3.  Place the first sponge at the bottom of the cake tin.  If you would like a little something extra, drizzle some brandy, Kahlua or rum over the sponge.
4.  Pipe 1/4 of the mousse over the sponge.
5.  Place the first dacquoise layer over the mousse and pipe another layer of mousse.
6.  Cover the second mousse layer with the second sponge layer.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6.
8.  Place in the refrigerator to set for four hours or overnight.
9.  Warm the cocoa glacage slightly so that it is at a nice thick pouring consistency.
10.  Spread a bit of glacage on to the uppermost chocolate sponge to stick the cake board to it.
11.  Flip the cake over and place on a cake stand or cake turn table.

12.  Pour the glacage over the cake, using a palette knife to encourage the glacage in the right directions and smooth the sides.

13.  Decorate with toasted almonds, gold or silver dragees or a flurry of white chocolate.

14. Et voila!  Your divinely delectable chocolate mousse cake.